Archive for August, 2017

Dipping into what seems like a deep blue silence, I am greeted by the erie song of a humpback whale in the vast south pacific ocean surrounding Tonga. If you are near a singing whale, the sound comes from within as it pulsates through your fluid watery body. The tones literally flows through you and you can feel it reverberating through your core. Some people describe a sensation in their chest or felt in their bones. Off the islands of Vava’u I felt it seeping through my body, pulsating and tingling. I dove deep into the blue abyss alone but not, listening and in awe.

Only the male humpback whales sing an elaborate song and primarily during the breeding and calving season. While much is still unknown, its thought that air is pumped through sacs attached to the larynx region and then reverberates out through their massive throat. It is truly one of the greatest concerts on earth which was shared among an intrepid crew with www.bluewaterventures.org! Thank you whales…..

It was such an honor to share our humpback whale experience with Ash and Shona, our incredible guides with Tongan Expeditions. Ash is from the the village of Whangara on the east coast of New Zealand where the Whale Rider movie was filmed. His life has been spent observing whales from above and below. Ash is a full blooded Maori and Shona is 1/2 Maori, both so attune to whale energy. It was an incredible experience to watch them in the water respectfully interacting with a baby humpback whale. Though a little blurry, note that the young whale is guarded by both mama whale as well as an escort adult whale.

Humpback whale escorts are a true mystery of nature and so intriguing to observe from below. During our swims, we had several encounters with escorts. Several snorkelers received a clear message to keep a distance from baby whale when an escort posiitoned itself between mother/calf and humans. Though no physical touch or overt aggression, the escort would deliver a gentle reminder of their immense power as it established underwater boundaries. We are humbled and in awe…..www.bluewaterventures.org